Dental neck rest



Dec. 21, 1965 E. o. THOMPSON DENTAL NECK REST 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 26, 1964 INVENTOR.

ELBERT O. THOMPSON ATTORNEY INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ELBERT O. THOMPSON E. O. THOMPSON DENTAL NECK REST Dec. 21, 1965 Filed Aug. 26, 1964 4 \fl/o O O O O O O O O O O O 6 0 0 O Q 6 O 0 .L

United States Patent C) 3,224,809 DENTAL NECK REST Elbert 0. Thompson, 3535 Hillside Drive, Salt Lake City, Utah Filed Aug. 26, 1964, Ser. No. 392,106 2 Claims. ((31. 297-391) This invention relates generally to dental operating equipment and more particularly to an improved rest for a dental chair to support the patients neck and head.

Although head rests for dental patients have been in use for many years and have taken a variety of forms, they have all generally followed the pattern of providing support only on opposite lateral portions of the patients head and have left unsupported the cervical curve of the neck. Moreover, such supports have served to normally hold the patients head in only one position facing directly ahead with respect to the support. This has proved uncomfortable both to the patient and dentist because it is often necessary or desirable to have the patients head tipped to one side or the other; and this can only be accomplished by assuming an even more uncomfortable position. The alternative is for the dentist to stretch or go through other unnatural contortions which contributes directly to fatigue and loss of efficiency.

The object of the present invention is to provide a rest for use on dental operating chairs that is specifically formed to support the entire cervical curve of the patient and the occipital or rearwardly protruding portion of the head whereby the natural relationship of neck to torso is maintained.

An important related object is the provision of a neck rest of such a construction that it automatically grips the patients head and neckin any position-with a uniformly applied pressure that is both reassuring and comfortable for the patient.

An additional object is the provision of a neck and head rest having internally and integrally thereof a supply of antiseptic paper for use with the neck rest.

A further object is the provision on such a rest of a flexible connection to the operatory chair whereby the rest is movable into any position with respect to the chair in order to accommodate various patients. In other words, the rest of the invention is constructed to be positioned on the chair in an infinite number of positions thereby to accommodate the patient rather than making the patient conform to a fixed position of the rest.

In order that the invention may be more readily understood and carried into effect reference is made to the accompanying drawings and the description thereof, which are offered by way of example only and are not to be taken as limiting the invention, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims and the equivalents of the elements recited therein rather than by any detailed description.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a perspective of the neck and head rest of the invention, certain hidden elements being shown in dotted lines and the paper reel being shown as removed from the rest, all for purposes of clarification.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the rest of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of the rest taken as looking in the direction of arrows 3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view taken as looking in the direction of arrows 4 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is an end elevational view of the rest of FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 6 is a side sectional view taken in the direction of the arrows 6 of FIG. 5, a patient being shown in phantom lines.

The rest, generally designated 10, comprises a rigid flat 3,224,809 Patented Dec. 21, 1965 bee base 11 overlain by a resilient cushion 12 of a suitable foam such as polyeurethane.

The cushion is supported primarily on the base and its body is generally uninterrupted internally except for a hollow rigid tube 13 mounted transversely of the top edge of the base. This tube serves a dual purpose in that it provides a rigid support for the foam across the top of the rest and at the same time provides a receptacle for a roll of antiseptic paper 14 which is held in place therein by a cap 16 to be dispensed outwardly through an outwardly facing slot 17, formed in the longitudinal side wall of the tube, and pulled down over the rest to provide a clean surface for each patient.

Although the cushion 12 is generally uninterrupted in its internal structure, it is of a particular formation which includes a longitudinal central groove or depression 18 in its upper surface. The groove extends longitudinally from the lower edge 15 of the base 11 toward the center thereof where it merges into a central enlarged oval depression 19 provided to accommodate the occipital protuberance of a human head.

The entire cushion tapers downwardly toward the lower transverse edge 15 of the base to thereby form an overall wedge shape with the longitudinal groove starting at the sharp edge of the wedge and terminating in the above mentioned oval impression 19.

The general configuration of the cushion when viewed from the side as in FIGS. 2 and 6 is one that follows the cervical curve of the human spine from the top shoulder line to the base of the skull.

The use of compressible foam in the particular configuration of the rest is important. First, it provides the obvious benefit of a soft surface. Second, the particular groove and oval depression provides uniform support for the cervical curve and head. Third, and this is important, the resiliency of the foam permits compression and deformation of the cushion which causes it to draw toward the head and neck to thus grip the patient with a comfortably reassuring pressure. This occurs in all positions the patient might assume.

In order to accommodate heavier patients and/ or patients with pronounced occipital protuberances that might ordinarily result in exceeding the compressive capacity of the cushion, an oval opening 21 is provided in the base 11 directly beneath the oval depression 19 of the cushion. Thus, the cushion derives additional resilient capacity through this open area which allows the cushion to be depressed further. This is important because it maintains the comfort of the patient and at the same time retains the gripping feature because the edges of the cushion will tend to draw inwardly as the center portion of the cushion is depressed into the opening 21.

The cushion base and tube are all covered with a suit able flexible plastic in accordance with the individual decor of the office in which it is to be used.

As noted, the entire cushion is more or less wedged shaped and the neck supporting groove 18 runs upwardly along the longitudinal axis of the rest to merge into the oval depression 19. The groove does not follow a straight line. Rather, as previously noted, it curves in conformity to the cervical curve of a normal spine. Because of its resiliency and the base opening 21, the rest is capable of accommodating patients of all sizes and weights.

As previously noted, the rest is specifically designed to be movable and thus to be positioned with respect to the patient rather than vice-versa. To accomplish this, a strap 22 is provided that pivotally connects at one end to the bottom of the rest thence passes over the upper end of the chair back and is in frictional engagement therewith. This aids in holding the rest in position and at the same time provides a means of securing the rest to the chair to keep it conveniently located for use.

The material of construction should be such that there is a relatively high coeificient of friction between the underside of the rest and the chair on which it rests so that once positioned it will stay in place.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the present invention provides a highly flexible comfortable neck rest that is self-adjusting to accommodate all sizes of patients, automatically provides a gripping action and which, as part of its structural components, includes a receptacle for antiseptic paper.

Having thus described my invention what I desire to claim and secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A dental operatory neck rest structure comprising a flat rigid base, a tapered resilient cushion overlying said base the thin edge portion of which forms the bottom edge of the rest and the thickest portion of which forms the top edge portion of the rest, an oval depression in the top surface of said cushion between said top and bottom edges, a groove in the surface of said cushion extending longitudinally thereof and connecting said oval depression and said bottom edge of said rest, said oval depression conforming generally to the occipital protuberance of a human skull and said groove following a path generally corresponding to the cervical curve of a normal human spine between the shoulder and the occipital portion of the skull, and an oval opening in said base directly below said oval depression of said cushion.

2. A dental operatory neck rest structure comprising a flat rigid base, a wedge-shaped resilient cushion overlying said base the thin edge portion of which forms the bottom edge of the rest and the thickest portion of which forms the top edge portion of the rest, a rigid hollow tube transversely of said base and within said cushion at the upper thickest portion thereof thereby to form a rigid non-resilient support, an oval depression in the top surface of said cushion between said tube and said bottom edge, a groove in the surface of said cushion extending longitudinally thereof and connecting said oval depression and said bottom edge portion of said rest, said oval depression conforming generally to the occipital protuberance of a human skull and said groove following a path generally corresponding to the cervical curve of a normal human spine between the shoulder and the occipital portion of the skull, and an oval opening in said base directly below said oval depression of said cushion.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,349,072 8/1920 Lines 5-338 1,414,897 5/1922 Reilly 297-391 2,536,592 1/1951 Ceaser et a1. 297-397 2,765,840 10/1956 Robert et al. 297-408 2,835,905 5/1958 Tomasson 5-338 2,839,125 6/1958 Brandon 297-396 3,104,914 8/1963 Burton 297-391 FRANK B. SHERRY, Primary Examiner. 

1. A DENTAL OPERATORY NECK REST STRUCTURE COMPRISING A FLAT RIGID BASE, A TAPERED RESILIENT CUSHION OVERLYING SAID BASE THE THIN EDGE PORTION OF WHICH FORMS THE BOTTOM EDGE OF THE REST AND THE THICKEST PORTION OF WHICH FORMS THE TOP EDGE PORTION OF THE REST, AN OVAL DEPRESSION IN THE TOP SURFACE OF SAID CUSHION BETWEEN SAID TOP AND BOTTOM EDGES, A GROOVE IN THE SURFACE OF SAID CUSHION EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY THEREOF AND CONNECTING SAID OVAL DEPRESSION AND SAID BOTTOM EDGE OF SAID REST, SAID OVAL DEPRESSION CONFORMING GENERALLY TO THE OCCIPITAL PROTUBERNACE OF A HUMAN SKULL AND SAID GROOVE FOLLOWING A PATH GENERALLY CORRESPONDING TO THE CERVICAL CURVE OF A NORMAL HUMAN SPINE BETWEEN THE SHOULDER AND THE OCCIPITAL PORTION OF THE SKULL, AND AN OVAL OPENING IN SAID BASE DIRECTLY BELOW SAID OVAL DEPRESSION OF SAID CUSHION. 